Daily WHUFC News - 5th December 2012

Hammers spread festive cheer
WHUFC.com
West Ham United players put smiles on faces when they visited Whipps Cross
Hospital on Tuesday
04.12.2012

Festive cheer arrived today at Whipps Cross Hospital when players from West
Ham United paid a visit to patients and staff. Captain Kevin Nolan led the
way along with Andy Carroll, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Winston Reid, James
Tomkins, Joey O'Brien, Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga in dropping into the
Acorn children's ward at the Leytonstone hospital. The players, all wearing
Santa hats, gave out goody bags which contained footballs, scarves and other
items and happily chatted with the young patients and their families. They
also posed for photographs and signed autographs for the hard-working staff.
Skipper Nolan said he and the players were only too pleased to put some
smiles on the faces of those having to spend time in hospital over
Christmas. "It means a lot to see them just smile and that us visiting has
given them a boost," said the captain. "I am a dad myself so I can
understand what the mums and dads are going through when they are by their
children's bedsides and the concerns you have, so if we can give them
something positive about by being here, then that is a great thing."

Nolan also had words of praise for the hospital staff: "I think what they
do, the doctors and nurses and all the staff, is just fantastic. My wife was
a nurse when we lived back in Liverpool, so I understand the work they put
in. They were really pleased to see us, which is really nice, but we were
only too pleased to be here."

A personal donation from all the players was presented by Nolan to the
ward's modern matron Eileen Elms. The money will be used to benefit the
patients and staff of the Acorn ward in a variety of ways both now and in
the future. Winger Jarvis said the players were more than happy to help out,
adding: "To come here and just spend a moment means a lot to everyone and we
were just as glad to be here. To show appreciation for the work the staff
put in is important too and if we can help make it a little brighter for
those in hospital, then that is a good thing."

The visit is just one of several the players will take part in during the
season and the visit to a local hospital at Christmas time is an annual
fixture in the team diary.

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Jaaskelainen targeting back-to-back wins
WHUFC.com
Jussi Jaaskelainen wants West Ham United to build on their win over Chelsea
by beating Liverpool
03.12.2012

Jussi Jaaskelainen has highlighted the importance of West Ham United's 3-1
home Barclays Premier League victory over Chelsea. The Hammers bounced back
from successive defeats at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United and a
goal down to the Blues to score a memorable victory over their west London
rivals on Saturday. Jaaskelainen himself played a starring role in West
Ham's success, making a succession of saves to deny Juan Mata and Fernando
Torres. The former Finland international was delighted with both his own
performance, and that of his team. Now, the 37-year-old is targeting victory
over Liverpool this Sunday. "It was massive to stop our losing run," he told
West Ham TV. "Some teams lose a couple and then go six or seven games
without a win, so ending our run at just two games is great. It would be
nice now to get back-to-back wins."

Jaaskelainen hailed the bold decision made by manager Sam Allardyce at
half-time to introduce Mohamed Diame and Matt Taylor - moves that changed
the course of the game in West Ham's favour. "We started pretty slow in the
first half. We could not really get going and our passing was not good
enough but we changed that after half time. We kept it at 1-0, made a few
changes during the break and we came out really well, scoring some good
goals and limiting them to very few chances to secure a good three points.
"We had three tough games in six days including two away from home against
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. We had to defend a lot and do a lot
of running. The gaffer left some of the players like Momo Diame on the
bench, but it was a plan that worked very well for us."

Only Manchester City and Chelsea have kept more clean sheets than West Ham,
but Jaaskelainen insists personal glory comes second to team performance.
"When you play at this level as a goalkeeper it is all about consistency.
You know, over the course of the season, you will make mistakes but the
important thing is for the team to keep playing consistently well. "Like
always, it is my job to keep the ball out of the net. You have to look at
the positives, then take them into the next game and hopefully perform
well."

Jaaskelainen also praised his goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson for helping
him to continue improving, despite the fact he has spent more than 15 years
playing in the Premier League. "I was very lucky to have a very good
goalkeeping coach for 13 years at Bolton Wanderers [in Fred Barber] and I
think it is very important to work hard in training. I am very happy with
the work I have been doing with Marge - he is continuing to bring a lot of
new things into my game which, as a 37-year-old, is great."

Jaaskelainen may be 37, but he showed the agility of a 21-year-old when he
celebrated West Ham's third goal against Chelsea with a leap in the air in
front of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand. Jokes aside, the Finn is a model
professional and it is no coincidence that he is still playing at the
highest level long after most top-flight players have lost their physical
edge. "I felt like a 21-year-old after we scored the third ! It is amazing
how well you can do if you look after yourself 24/7. People have told me
'Stay in the game as long as you can because once you are done, you are
done'. "You have to work very hard on an individual basis during the week
but hopefully it will allow me to keep up the same levels of performance."

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West Ham and Leyton Orient await Olympic Stadium decision
BBC.co.uk

West Ham will move closer to finding out whether their future lies at the
Olympic Stadium when a preferred bidder for the venue is named on Wednesday.
Olympic Stadium timeline

12 July 2012: Extended deadline for bidders to submit proposals
27 July-12 August: Olympic Games
29 August-9 September: Paralympics
4 December 2012: Decision expected on preferred bidders
August 2015: Earliest possible date stadium reopens with new tenants

They are competing against League One side Leyton Orient, a football
business college and a group keen to bring Formula 1 to the Olympic Park. A
deal for West Ham to take up the lease collapsed last year after legal
challenges from Orient and Tottenham. Being named as a preferred bidder will
be a big step towards becoming tenants.

Preferred-bidder status will not involve the signing of any contracts, but
will put the club at the front of the queue to secure a new home under a
99-year lease.
The Olympic Stadium, which hosted the majority of the track and field
athletics events during the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, as well as the
opening and closing ceremonies, will not reopen until August 2015.

Orient owner Barry Hearn plans to change the club's name to London Orient if
their bid to ground-share with West Ham succeeds. The Premier League club
has previously said it has not held any talks with Orient. The two football
clubs face competition from Intelligent Transport Services in association
with Formula 1, and UCFB College of Football Business. West Ham agreed to
put in more money to reduce the funding gap from £40m to £20m, but the total
cost of conversion will be at least £160m and one potential sticking point
is who will underwrite any possible increases in construction costs.

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Ticket prices slashed
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th December 2012
By: Staff Writer

Tickets for the visit of Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup
have been heavily reduced. The Red Devils visit the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday, 5th January and in an attempt to fill the ground for the game,
which is also being broadcast live on TV, the club have decided to reduce
prices across the board.
Adult season ticket holders will pay just £20 to watch the match, whilst
under 16s and the over-65s pay just £10. Seats for non-season ticket holders
are priced at £30 for adults and £15 for minors and over-65s. Tickets for
the match go on sale to regular season ticket holders and Academy members on
Tuesday, 11th December. The remainder go on general sale from Thursday, 13th
December. West Ham's allocation will be heavily reduced as the visitors will
be allocated the entire Trevor Brooking Stand - both upper and lower tiers -
in line with FA Cup requirements. That means up to 6,500 away fans could be
present at the game, whilst season ticket holders in the former North Bank
will be forced to seek alternative seating.

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FA Cup tie goes live
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th December 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's third round FA Cup clash with Manchester United has been
chosen for live broadcast. The Hammers face the Red Devils at the Boleyn
Ground on Saturday, 5th January in the pick of the 32 ties drawn out of the
hat by Tottenham's Ledley King and Fabrice Muamba last Sunday. The game,
which will be broadcast live by terrestrial channel ITV will kick off at
5.30pm. Earlier in the day, SkySports announced that two more of West Ham's
2012/13 Premier League fixtures will be featured live. United's trip to
Aston Villa has been rescheduled for Sunday, 10th February (1.30pm kick off)
- whilst the London derby against Tottenham will now take place on Monday,
25th February (8.00pm kick off).

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West Ham has that Factor X at Long Last!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Sky TV produce an excellent series entitled 'Time of Our Lives,' in which
sports people have a televised conversation about particular sporting
episodes or achievements. With football, it is usually former players
talking about the achievements of great sides and managers. The series has
featured excellent programmes on West Ham in the Greenwood 'hay day' of the
mid-1960s and Lyall's Championship challenging West Ham team of 1985-86.

Both programmes were terrific viewing, with stories and memories associated
with two great periods in West Ham's history. But there was another such
programme, in the series, on Revie's Leeds Utd, in which one particular
reference caught my attention. A group of former Leeds Utd players (Lorimer,
Charlton, Reaney, etc) were discussing the ethos of togetherness at the club
under Revie and the fact that the players would back each other up 100% out
on the pitch. In describing that, Paul Reaney contrasted it with the total
opposite situation that they found at opponents likes West Ham Utd FC, where
the players were very talented, but seemed more individualistic and did not
display the same team ethic/collective fight.

Reaney was prinicipally talking about the West Ham teams of the 1960s and
early 1970s. Of course, not all Hammers sides were like that, the teams of
1975-76, 1980-81 and 1985-86 had a good colective spirit. And some of
Redknapp's teams also had an 'aspect of iron in their make up. But there
have also been far too many Hammers sides in the past where it has been
deficient. So, it is really very pleasing to witiness the scenes of
comradrie and unity during Saturday's 3-1 defeat of Chelsea. It is clear
that Sam Allardyce has built a squad and coaching/back room team that are
absolutely united in their objective of achieving success for West Ham Utd
FC. West Ham are no longer a 'push over' for every overly physical team that
comes along. We now posess the height and power and when the likes of Stoke
City try to out muscle us, they know that they are going to get a response.
The players stand up to be counted and there is great unity and fighting
spirit in the currenteam.

The sports journalists on the Sunday Supplement commented on it when
discussing the managerial merry-go-round at Chelsea. At West Ham last
Saturday, you had two distinctly different set ups and approaches. One where
the club's owners have selected a manager, allowed him to assemble his own
staff and playing squad without unnecessary instability and interference.
The other where the club's owner constantly 'chops and changes' his
managers, does not give them enough time to build strong foundations and,
thereby, creates instability, uncertainty and division! What we saw in West
Ham, last week end, was a club united from top to bottom around a manager
with a plan to rebuild the team after the disasterous relegation season of
2010-11.

Team spirit, unity and motivation are a factor X in football. They allow
teams to compete and achieve results against technically superior sides. We
have that in abundance now and if we can continue to improve the squad's
overall quality, within the context of this strong team ethic then that is
recipe for future success at the club. As I have consistently argued, this
West Ham side can play football, as well as having physical strength and the
ability to play direct when the circumstances dictate. Rafa might talk about
Chelsea struggling with West Ham's physical strength, but the fact is that
we also passed the ball well, in the 2nd half, and that also caused his side
a few problems as well.

On the back of the stunning victory over Chelsea, there has been two
negative stories relating to the club this week. After his outstanding
performance, in the 2nd half , on Saturday, the tabloids decided to re-heat
the 'Diame £7m release clause' stories of a fortnight ago. Diame is a key
player and we must strive to keep him. But if he does have the specified
release clause in his contract there is not much we can do, except offer him
a more lucrative contract. However, the best hope we probably have is that
Diame has bought in to the aforementioned team spirit at the club and does
not want to leave it behind just yet. And certainly not for the relative
uncertainty of a club like Liverpool. We must wait and see?

The other is the Dublin Christmas Party/Andy Carroll story. The club have
now responded and confirmed the West Ham party had a security team with them
and that no player or players acted in an unacceptable way during the trip.
Lets just accept that position and not dwell on it a moment longer, until it
is actually proven there was some wrong doing.

I am sure that all Hammers fans are far too happy, after the defeat of
Chelsea, to be distracted by one story that may not happen and and another
that, in all probability, never did!

SJ. Chandos.

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Nolan jumps to defence of team-mate Carroll as West Ham captain dismisses
claims striker attacked photographer
Striker has been accused of gouging and attempting to bite Paddy Cummins
West Ham are standing by the on-loan star amid the allegations
Police in Dublin made no arrests after probing players
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 18:57, 4 December 2012 | UPDATED: 20:01, 4 December 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham players have leapt to the defence of Andy Carroll after the striker
was accused of assaulting a photographer during the squad's Christmas party.
The £35million England star, on loan at Upton Park from Liverpool, has found
himself in hot-water after the incident outside a nightclub in Dublin in the
early hours of Sunday morning. Carroll is said to have lashed out at
33-year-old snapper Paddy Cummins, who was trying to take a shot of him
without his leg-brace.
The centre-forward is expected to miss the next two months with a knee
injury and is required to wear the brace. But in a show of team solidarity,
Carroll's team-mates will vouch for the 23-year-old when questioned by club
officials about the incident. The players will insist the striker was
provoked and showed no aggression towards the photographer. Team-mate Kevin
Nolan, who joined Carroll on a trip to Whipps Cross Hospital in Essex on
Tuesday to hand out presents to sick children, said: 'Someone is trying to
fabricate a story and that is the disappointing thing. It is part and parcel
of what we do and we understand that.
'We have had a fantastic weekend away and you think you have come back with
no problems but someone has made something which was nothing as far as I was
aware.'
Photographer Cummins alleges he was eye-gouged, pushed to the floor and that
Carroll attempted to bite him during fracas. Garda - Ireland's police force
- have launched an investigation into the incident, which is said to have
taken place at 2.30am. Carroll and a number of his team-mates have been
interviewed by police but no arrests have been made. On Tuesday West Ham
released a statement backing Carroll. It read: 'Andy Carroll was in Dublin
as part of a social trip with full permission of the management team. 'Andy
agreed to have a number of pictures taken at the request of a photographer
who was waiting on the street. 'Despite this, the photographer then
carried on taking photos in the close proximity of Andy and was politely
asked to stop by the private security team working on the trip. 'When he
then continued taking more photos he was restrained by the security team for
Andy's safety. Eyewitnesses state at no point was there any physical contact
between Andy and the photographer. 'The Garda took statements from the group
back at the hotel and no further action was taken.'
Speaking about the disappearance of the leg brace, Carroll's agent Mark
Curtis added: 'The leg brace was outside his trousers inside the club
because he wanted people to see it so they wouldn't knock into him. When he
left he put it under the trousers.' 'He can't walk without it. He isn't a
daft lad and he wouldn't be able to put weight on his leg without it.'
Carroll now looks likely to escape recrimination from police and West Ham
over the incident.

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West Ham poised to take another small step towards Olympic Stadium deal
• London Legacy Development Corporation board to meet
• West Ham likely to be named preferred bidders
Owen Gibson
The Guardian, Tuesday 4 December 2012 17.57 GMT

West Ham United are likely to be named preferred bidders for the Olympic
Stadium in Stratford on Wednesday following a board meeting of the London
Legacy Development Corporation, but final agreement on a deal for the East
End club to move into the £429m venue is expected to remain some way off. As
revealed last month by the Guardian the LLDC board, chaired by the London
mayor, Boris Johnson, was split on the best way forward ahead of the latest
D-day in a long and protracted saga that has endured a succession of false
dawns. West Ham believe that only Premier League football can make the
stadium economically viable and deliver a lasting legacy for the surrounding
area. Johnson feels that West Ham offer the best solution but is equally
adamant that the deal must make sense for the public purse.

But others believe that if West Ham are unwilling to further increase their
upfront contribution to the conversion budget then an alternative option to
press on without football and stage athletics, concerts and other one-off
sporting events at the stadium should be pursued. That would require only
£38m to be spent converting the stadium and allow it to reopen in 2014
rather than 2015 or even 2016. It is understood that, despite an increased
offer from West Ham, further progress needs to be made on filling a gap of
between £20m and £40m in the £160m-plus cost of converting the stadium so
that it is suitable for both football and athletics.

There is also concern over how to structure any deal to ensure that the
public purse benefits if the club, likely to benefit from the increased
capacity and improved location, are later sold at a profit. A mechanism
would have to be found to lock West Ham into the lease in the event of the
club being sold.

The likely outcome is that West Ham will get preferred bidder status but
with a number of conditions attached before contracts can be signed. These
could include a requirement to fill the funding hole. A similar deal was
struck with iCity for the expansive media centre in the north of the Park.
Under that agreement, the iCity consortium agreed to sign up to a range of
promises on the number of jobs it would create and the amount it would
invest. Meanwhile, the film director Danny Boyle has added his name to the
list of those backing West Ham's bid to rent the stadium on a 99-year lease.
Boyle said in his director's commentary for the BBC's Opening Ceremony DVD
that he included a sequence featuring I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles because he
hoped they would move in.

"We had to have the West Ham song because I think they should get the
stadium. It would be wonderful. I hope the park is made into a big success
by the fact the onus is on them now to keep investing and to keep it working
because people love it," he said.

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West Ham expected to be named preferred bidders for Olympic Stadium
London 24
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
7:30 PM

West Ham are expected to be chosen as the preferred bidders to occupy the
Olympic Stadium tomorrow. Talks on securing a deal that would allow West Ham
to be named as the preferred bidders are expected to continue right until
the start of tomorrow's meeting of the London Legacy Development Corporation
(LLDC) board. Senior sources on the board have told the Press Association
they remain very hopeful that an agreement will be reached that covers a
funding gap of around £20million. Discussions have been taking place today
between the government, the London mayor's office, LLDC chiefs and the club
to try to come up with a plan agreeable to all. If West Ham are named as
preferred bidders it will be a major step towards the club becoming the
stadium's tenants.
Preferred bidder status will not involve the signing of any contracts but
will put the club in the driving seat to securing a new home under a 99-year
lease.

The funding gap for converting the stadium into a football ground with
retractable seating over the running track has been narrowed from £40million
to around £20million after West Ham and Newham Council agreed to put in more
money. There have been efforts to secure the final outstanding cash with
approaches to the Treasury and the London mayor's office. Even so, the total
cost will be at least £160m and one potential sticking point is who would
underwrite any possible increases in construction costs. The Hammers are one
of four bidders hoping to be chosen as the new anchor tenant for the Olympic
Stadium, which has cost £486m so far and has been vacant since hosting the
closing ceremony to the Paralympics at the start of September. The Premier
League club are competing against League One side Leyton Orient, a football
business college and a group keen to bring Formula One racing to the Olympic
Park. West Ham's latest offer is believed to be a £15m up front
contribution, a £5million improvement on the original offer, as well as rent
of £2.5m a year and £6m-a-year income for the LLDC from revenue from stadium
naming rights and catering. The LLDC confirmed this month that the stadium
will not re-open until 2015 at the earliest and possibly the summer of 2016
- which would be two years later than expected.

The delay was branded "a farce" by UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner - his
organisation had planned events such as Diamond League meetings, trials and
school competitions from 2014 and is hosting the 2017 world championships.
Warner said three weeks ago: "All of the legacy use was scheduled to start
in two years' time and now it might be four years' time which strikes me as
ludicrous and to be a paralysis of decision-making which I hope the mayor
1/8Boris Johnson 3/8 is going to cut through. "I wouldn't say this is a
Whitehall farce but this is fast becoming a Stratford farce."

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